The present invention relates to utility garments such as one-piece coverall garments.
A flightsuit is a one-piece coverall used by the air force, but also employed in other military services and in civilian use. It avoids shirttails which could become entangled in equipment, and effectively supports pockets for tools and other elements. A conventional flightsuit, such as the U.S. Military CWU 27/P, has a central zipper which extends from the collar directly downward to the garment crotch. Yet a one-piece garment, if it is to avoid being too loose, cannot fit the wearer snugly and accommodate the full range of the wearer's motion when bending forward and backward at the waist.
Some coverall designs have attempted to accommodate this by adding an elastic stretch panel at the wearer's waist or midtorso, or by making the entire suit out of a stretch material. Another feature of a one piece suit is the ability to don and doff it quickly. Typically this has been achieved with a single closure at the front of the garment, generally a single zipper which provides a simple and speedy means of opening and closing. Yet, if a single zipper extends across the front of the garment, it restricts the stretching of the stretch panel or stretchable fabric in this dimension.
Some coveralls have attempted to get around this limitation by tilting the path of the zipper so that it extends from the wearer's shoulder, across the chest, to the opposite side hip. These suits are generally more difficult to get in and out of, and do not feel as natural to wear.
In order to manage heat, wearers will generally unzip their collar zipper a few inches. Flight suits are unzipped in this way very often and this mode of wear is very popular, sometimes being a matter of style as well as function.
What is needed is a flightsuit which accommodates a wide range of motion, while offering a simple and speedy zipper entry.